The McGraw-Hill Companies Appoints Jack E. Witmer as President of the Educational Publishing Group; E. Addison "Buzz" Ellis III Named to Succeed Witmer as President of Glencoe/McGraw-Hill

Business Wire, May 30, 1996

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 1996--The McGraw-Hill Companies has appointed Jack E. Witmer, age 65, to the position of president of its Educational Publishing Group, which includes the Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Division, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, SRA/McGraw-Hill, and CTB/McGraw-Hill; all of which are among the leading school publishing operations in the United States. The McGraw-Hill Companies also has named E. Addison "Buzz" Ellis, age 49, to succeed Witmer as president of Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.

"Our Educational Publishing Group will benefit significantly from Jack Witmer's leadership, expertise and years of experience as he focuses on leveraging resources within the Group to initiate new publishing ventures," said Harold McGraw III, president and chief operating officer of The McGraw-Hill Companies. "Additionally, Buzz Ellis brings to his new position a vast knowledge of the industry, as well as Glencoe's operations, which will ensure a seamless transition in management and the division's continued success."

Witmer was named president of Glencoe Press in 1971 and, under his leadership, the operation grew to become the nation's largest secondary school publisher and a leading postsecondary school publisher. Glencoe Press became part of The McGraw-Hill Companies in 1989 through a joint venture that merged it with the Macmillan and McGraw-Hill secondary and post secondary divisions. Prior to joining Glencoe Press, Witmer was president of Benziger, a publisher of religious educational and general elementary and high school materials, which had been acquired by Macmillan. He began his publishing career in 1959 as a sales representative for Harper and Row School Division.

Prior to his new appointment, Ellis had been senior vice president and publisher of academic materials since 1989 following the merger of the Merrill Publishing Company's secondary school operations with Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. Under his leadership, the sciences, mathematics, and social studies product lines have grown significantly, providing the Corporation with a strong profit stream. Ellis joined the Merrill Publishing Company in 1973 as a product manager working in numerous administrative capacities before becoming president of the El-Hi Division.

Witmer, who will report to Peter Jovanovich, president of The McGraw-Hill Companies' Educational and Professional Publishing Group, is a graduate of Shippensburg State Teachers College. Ellis, who will report to Witmer, is a graduate of the College of Wooster and has an M.B.A. degree from Ohio State University. Both Witmer and Ellis will be based in Columbus, Ohio.

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading information services organization serving worldwide markets in education, business, finance, the professions and government. Sales in 1995 exceeded $2.9 billion.

CONTACT: Helen Steblecki

Manager, Corporate Communications

The McGraw-Hill Companies

212-512-2172 (office)

201-451-1139 (home)

steblech@mcgraw-hill.com (e-mail)

or

Steven H. Weiss

Senior Director, Corporate Communications

The McGraw-Hill Companies

212-512-2247 (office)

201-867-7699 (home)

weissh@mcgraw-hill.com (e-mail)